Wall-mounted machines for cutting glass, plastic and mat are described, for example, in Kozyrski U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,515, issued Oct. 8, 1985. The Kozyrski machines includes a frame-like structure having horizontal racks, or shelves, for supporting the workpiece on edge. The shelves normally incorporate leveling bars to enable fine adjustment of the attitude of the workpiece, thereby ensuring that the cuts made with the machine will be true and square. The Kozyrski machine also includes a clamping bar for holding the material being cut against the vertical backing components provided. Such a clamp will typically be made from a length of stock, obliquely slotted and freely supported on studs, so as to bear inwardly against the sheet under its own weight. Although the support system shown in the patent has proven to be entirely adequate for its intended purposes, it goes without saying that improvements therein would be of benefit.
Accordingly, it is a broad object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved support system for a sheet-cutting machine of the kind that is normally wall-mounted.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a novel clamping unit for such a machine, which unit may be self-contained, and which provides firm and uniform positive clamping force along the length of the workpiece, operates smoothly and reliably, is of relatively simple construction, and is relatively inexpensive and facile to produce.
A similar specific object is to provide a novel rack unit for such a machine, which permits accurate orientation of the workpiece for producing cuts that are true and square, which is convenient to use, and which is of relatively simple, facile and inexpensive construction.